labor of love

it was long "labour" for me.
hours of  tedious work, patience at test and finished with an achy back. Not forgetting, Dr Perserverance was paged.

if i may cuddle it in my arms, jumping in joy with the relief of it's finally over just like i did for my bundles of blessing. I DID! crazy me you says. Happy dancing in the kitchen overwhelmed with joy of my fruit of labour, my baby of joy.

thus i name this cake, labor of love.
By far, the most labourous of all. Yet, the most satisfactory of all!
will i go through this again?
Certainly...i will!  ;)



Kek Lapis                                                          

Ingredients A:                                                

450g tinned butter (Golden Churn)

11/2 tbsp condensed milk

270g icing sugar - sieved (reduced to 200g)

Ingredients B:

15 egg yolks mixed with 3/4 tsp vanilla + 1 tbsp brandy

Ingredients C:

135g Plain flour mixed with 1 1/4 tsp mixed spices - sieved

Ingredients D:

5 egg whites

Ingredients E:

50g melted butter (for brushing onto cake layers)

Method:

1. Scoop tinned butter into mixing bowl. Beat with icing sugar till fluffy.  Add Condensed milk and beat to combine. Set aside.

2. In another mixing bowl, whisk yolks mixture till thick and creamy, pale in colour. Add it to the butter mixture, beat to mix. Gradually add in the sieved flour mixed with spice powder.

3. Whisk whites till stiff.  Gently fold whites into step 2.

4. Spread 1 thin layer of cake mixture into a 22cm/9" greased and lined baking tin. Bake with 200deg C (upper and bottom heat)till golden brown. Remove from oven, prick, press and brush with a little melted butter. Spread another thin layer of cake mixture on top and grill with 220deg C (upper heat only) till golden brown. Repeat the same way till the last layer. Use 180deg C(upper and bottom) and bake till golden brown.

5. Remove and leave to cool. This cake tastes better after keeping for one day.

Note:

While baking layer by layer, prick only when there are air bubbles rising up and press down with any flat-bottom glass. This is to ensure all the layers are flat and nice. The purpose of brushing a little melted butter over baked layer is to keep the cake moist.

If you want the layers to be even and neat, weigh the same amount of batter before spreading.

Recipe reference and adapted from: Agnes Chang Baking Made Easy

                                                          Indonesian Kue Lapis



have a break, have a bun!

so many backlogs to post.
it will never get to see the light unless i devote my time editing, clearing off the drafts saved. If only there were like cash in deposit yah.
with all attending school this year that comes with never-ending sending and fetching at different time of the day, i'm worn out physically. glad, not mentally. that, i have only TWO hours when all are in school, my precious TWO hours! never enough for me to clear my backlogs before times up to pick him. so many things to do with so little time!
nevertheless, no matter how tired i am, how little time left for that ME time, i still diligently bake every day. Yes, every day!  So the children get to enjoy fresh bakes for their breakfast, snacks between their revision time. Their power food, my source of motivation.
with that every day of baking, it left me with that many days of posting. tho it's time consuming spend behind the scene before a post is eventually publish, i'm not gonna leave those drafts hibernating in the folder as i bring them out to sun, one by one!
so, here i am... one at a time. *applause* for the little achievement i made today ;)
stay around as i serve up my next bakes. prior to that, well...it's time to fetch my little fellow again.
see you around! have a great weekend ahead cos TGIF, my happy day!

Petite Sausage Rolls:          

400 Bread Flour
100 Plain Flour
1 tbsp instant yeast
100g castor sugar
1 tsp salt
220ml water
75g soften butter
* one packet of sausages (halves it)
* egg wash (1 beaten egg + 1tbsp water)
 



Method:

1. Preheat oven 190deg

2. Mix bread flour, plain four, yeast, sugar, salt and slowly pour in water.

3. knead the dough till gluten is formed.

4. Add butter and knead till dough smooth & elastic.

5. Leave aside to prove till double in bulk.

6. After proof, weigh and slice dough in equal weight (each weigh 30g) and shape it round.

7. Leave aside to rest for 15mins

8. Next, roll the dough into individual long rod shapes. Wrap dough over the each sausage.

9. Place them on baking tray. Cover tray with plastic wrap. Leave them for final proof till double in size, estimated time about 30 minutes.

10. Brush with egg wash on top of buns, baking time about 20mins

11. Leave it to cool.

*i made some buns using the left over dough.  


Recipe reference: Basic Sweet Bun Dough by Agnes Chang



Happy Valentine's Day~

Happy Valentine's Day to all my dearest friends & readers. Enjoy this special day with your love ones.